Choosing Faith In A World Of WorrySýnishorn

Ultimately, Only God Is Worthy of Fear 

An old Veggie Tales song proclaimed, “God is bigger than the boogie man.” Featuring Junior Asparagus, Larry the Cucumber, and Bob the Tomato, this was a characteristically silly and childlike way to present a very powerful concept. God is, indeed, bigger than the boogie man and all else that frightens us—even as adults.

When we look at our fears in light of God’s power and his eternal promises to the people who live clothed in his grace, this perspective makes a lot of sense. God does not shield us from all that scares us, nor does he block all the consequences of human choices and the natural laws he created. Just because we trust in him does not mean we’ll always be safe or comfortable. It doesn’t mean our bodies won’t be hurt or even killed. But we are always in God’s hand, and ultimately he will preserve the souls he has rescued. The power of this truth may be difficult to embrace when staring into the jaws of something that threatens to swallow us whole, but it should keep us from clinging to fear and devoting ourselves to worry. 

I love the classic hymn “It Is Well with My Soul.” The song’s lyrics were written by Horatio Spafford, an American lawyer who was inspired to write it, ironically, after he experienced some of the worst tragedies we could ever worry about. In 1870, his four-year-old son died of pneumonia. The next year, he was financially ruined when his real estate investments were destroyed by the great fire that decimated Chicago. Two years later, an economic downturn further devastated his financial circumstances. Soon after, he sent his family on a ship to Europe, staying behind to attend to business matters. The ship collided with another vessel and sank in the Atlantic and although his wife survived, all four of their daughters were killed. 

The beauty of this song does not reside in some denial that great tragedies can and do befall people who follow Christ. Instead, its power is in the declaration that even though life can be horrifically painful, and death and decay are constant companions, our souls are in the keeping of a God who transcends all.

Adapted from Anxious: Choosing Faith in a World of Worry. Copyright ©2014 by Amy Simpson. Used by permission. For more information, please visit http://www.ivpress.com/anxious.